Losers
Clelin Ferrell/Carl Nassib
The Raiders have two clear starters at defensive end in Maxx Crosby and Yannick Ngakoue, but their reserves, Clelin Ferrell and Carl Nassib, represent large investments by the Raiders in their own right. On Saturday, they were hardly a factor when they played in the first half.
They had a nice play on run defense early, teaming up on a tackle, but there was barely a peep from them in pass-rush opportunities. Ferrell had one tackle and Nassib tallied two in limited action, but as front-line rotation players, more impact is expected from them in a preseason game.
Amik Robertson
Second-year cornerback Amik Robertson has a year on Hobbs, but he’s fallen hopelessly behind in their competition at nickel cornerback. Robertson played on the outside on Saturday, too, but he dropped a potential interception in the second half, albeit one with a high degree of difficulty.
He also allowed a slant route on an important third-down play late in the fourth quarter. Robertson is playing how you might expect a second-year fourth-round pick to play, but he simply has to do more if he’s to gain any ground on Hobbs. With how Saturday night unfolded, he may run out of time to do so.
Kendal Vickers
Defensive lineman Kendal Vickers had some nice moments last season for Las Vegas, but he’s struggled to get noticed in the run-up to the 2021 campaign. Late in the game, he had a golden opportunity to impress but came up empty.
Vickers got his hands on Rams QB Bryce Perkins in the backfield, but Perkins escaped and converted a big third-down run to get near the goal line. The play allowed the Rams to eventually score a touchdown, though they went for the 2-point conversion and failed, handing the Raiders their 17-16 win.
This game didn’t go as smoothly as last week’s win against the Seahawks, but the Raiders, led again by Peterman, won another ballgame. It’s a testament to the “fighting spirit” that running back Josh Jacobs referred to after two rough-and-tumble practices against the Rams this week.
[vertical-gallery id=82226]
[lawrence-newsletter]